Most Popular Deep Snow for 2016 Volkswagen Jetta

We bought the Thule self tensioning chains. We were caught in the recent ice and snow storm that hit northern New Mexico and the pan handle of Texas. We saw over 2" of solid ice on 287 from Dalhart To Amarillo. We would have been one of the hundreds of stranded motorists that night without the tire chanins. Easy to install and de-install. Our chains were installed on a 2011 VW Jetta TDI.

This review is after 1 winter of light duty use. *** Overview *** I bought these low-profile chains to fit a 2013 Jetta TDI SportWagen. Ease of use: 3.5 stars Effectiveness: 4 stars Durability: 1 star Ultimately, these did what they were advertised to do. The details below are mostly about the specific combination of these chains with the TDI in icy and packed-snow conditions in Portland, OR. *** Details *** Ease of install is okay. You definitely want to practice a bunch of times before you really need to put them on in the snow. The instructional video is nice. Main complaint is that once they get icy they're a pain to deal with. Much of this is related to the minimal clearance to the wheel wells in the Jetta, and the way they tend to get packed with snow and ice when driving (and also getting your glove-covered hands into the areas they need to go). You'll need something to hack through the ice if you need to put these on and off mid-trip (we mostly use them around town so it's mostly something I can manage in the garage, but I used my ice scraper once... that sucked). As others have noted, you basically need to take them off with the wheel in the same rotational position as it was when you put them on, which is trivial but an unpleasant surprise if you don't know that. Functionally, they provide reasonable traction for my front-wheel-drive TDI. I used only chains on the two drive wheels. Our use case is mostly light snow and ice in the elevations of the city of Portland. They're not going to get you through the rockies, but that's more of a limitation of the car's clearance and FWD and less about the chains. We never got stuck with them, and with careful driving they provided reasonable traction at controlled low speed up and down steep windy concrete and asphalt roads. My main complaint is durability. My TDI has traction control, but has a tendency to be very torquey at low RPMs, like say starting uphill from a stop. This causes initial wheel slippage when facing uphill, and can also cause torque spikes when shifting gears uphill. These low-profile chains can't handle _any_ slippage without breaking links. This is worst if they're still trying to self-tension while they're slipping and catching. The diamond pattern means that they're still reasonably good traction and tension-wise when broken, but they'll hit your wheel wells and drive you crazy. There are replacement links provided, but they're pretty hard to repair on the road---if this is something that you worry about then get some really intense pliers to carry around. Basically, you need to be really gentle during the first 10-20 yards of driving while they self-tension, and you need to control torque to avoid slipping and catching on partially icy pavement. I have snow tires on steel wheels so I wasn't using the rim protectors.

NOTE: Ended up not needing chains, so I cannot attest to how well they would have performed. However, I did a test run and put them on the tires at home (wearing leather gloves) and was pleased with how simple it was.

I have to say I'm extremely satisfied with these tire chains!! They're so aggressive and work well with my corolla. My at is front wheel drive and the weight of the motors sits perfectly in line with the tire/chain combination. They bite and dig right in the snow and ice. My drive way is very long as you can see and quite dangerous in snowy conditions. I've had numerous times where I've had to slip the chains on and it was a breeze. They're so easy to put on and off. I feel extremely confident throughout the winter season with the Thule tire chains in the back of my trunk. Thank you so much! You guys have great products going!

We’re yet to use these chains but they look incredibly well made and putting them on the tires seems like a breeze. The overall purchase experience and communication with etrailer.com was outstanding. Highly recommended!

We used these chains on a trip to Big Bear, where we rented a cabin for our family. These chains were perfect! My daughter and I put them on and took them off, and they were super easy, and the video instruction was great! It showed us just how to do it. Made it so easy. The chains were wonderful quality too. Thank you so much! 5 stars!

These are the first chains I have bought for a car. Bought them in preparation for a trip to Canada this winter and to have just in case this winter around Kansas City. I was worried about how difficult chains would be to install on a Dodge Dart but these were super easy to install, 5 min per tire my first time putting them on. They fit tightly and I can’t wait to try them out in the snow. Customer service was also great with my order. They were delivered several days before they were suposed to and sent me a personal email letting me know they were shipped out early. This was a great touch considering most online orders involve no personal contact from the business. I Will definitely purchase from etrailer again because of the service.

I always order snow chains from etrailer.com. It's easy to find what size you need and they always get delivered earlier than expected! Great company.

I ordered the Thule CB12 snow chains and received in 3 days! They look great and simple to install. No need to spend extra green on not needed gimmicks. I got stranded last year at Jay Peak...can't wait to try these on my VW jetta snow sled!

Made my KIA Soul goes places it should not have . Stayed tight and in place. Put about 200 miles on then in heavy , light and ice. Good steering control.

Super easy and quick to install just like the videos describe. I haven't used them yet, but I'm hoping they will work well when the roads are bad.

I haven't used these yet, but I am very familiar with chains in general. I bought these to put on my wife's car, and wanted something easy for her to use. We put them on to teach her, and she was able to put them on pretty easily. I have used pewag truck tire chains, and if these are anything like them, they are great. 4 stars for ease of use. When I do use them, I'll update this review.

Great customer service. Only device that works on '14 VW Jetta TDI Sportswagen. Haven't had to use them yet. Unfortunately.

Hands down best chains on the market. No better feeling than pulling up next to people doing the chain shuffle and being done by time your hands even get cold! These chains payed for themselves the day they showed up. K-summit chains allowed me to plow through 16 inches of snow in my VW passat to get my child to the hospital in an emergency situation. Only issue I've had is I drive crazy in the snow and threw off my chains twice. Easy on and easy off. Perfect for people that live in the mountains. I put on and take off 3-6 times per day with no issues. Absolutely love them. 6 out of 5 stars!

I used these chains for the first time to get me home after work when winter storm Jonas hit the east coast. The snow was so deep that I only had trouble when the snow started to pick my car off the ground. I made it all the way home with these chains but did notice a few links broke during the 30 minute drive home. I wasn't going any faster than 20-25 mph on the way home. I couldn't go any faster given how bad the roads were. These chains were easy to install and I did drive a few miles before stopping and retightening them as per the instructions. The chains can be used again even with the broken link but I will have to repair them in the spring or buy new ones next year.

The snow chains arrived quickly. They appear to the correct size for my tires for my vehicle, but I had difficulty in getting them to fit properly. However, there are two factors to consider: 1) I recently purchased new tires, which are at the maximum tire pressure and 2) I have never used snow chains before, so my experience in installing them was lacking. So, now I will await the net snowfall to try them out on the road for real.

Good snow chain pack - appreciate the video tutorials

After receiving the chains, we followed the installation instructions and video. The chains didn’t seem to fit right, so we contacted the company by phone for assistance. We received no call back. We called again and were advised to send an email with a photo and someone would get back. Nothing. We re-sent the email. Nothing. We’ve not used the chains so cannot comment on quality. We can comment on customer support. Nothing.

Product boasts being perfectly easy to pop on and roll away but the bungie is rather stiff and somewhat difficult to pull to the back of your tires. Once you DO get the red cable to the back, you need to perfectly align the chains to the top surface (treads) of your tire; otherwise, the bungie will pull and tear, ultimately breaking the chains inside of them. That said, I do still recommend this product - when properly installed, they are very sturdy and get me out of my steep driveway like a champ. I also highly recommend etrailer (their customer service is awesome and they are very understanding when it comes to product flaws or user errors).

This review is based on a one time use, (a three days of heavy snow in the mountains actually). These chains were a little difficult to install on my first test, but only took a few minutes on a dry sunny day before heading to the mountains. When the environment turned wet and cold, my hands took a biting even with heavy duty globes, I struggle a lot, but I managed to install the first one in 10 minutes and the second wheel in about 15 or more minutes. Once in placed they worked very good and had excellent traction and turning capabilities. These chains seem to be made of a high quality built and tough materials and hopefully will last a long time. The shipping was fast and product arrived in good condition.

Easy to put on! I have a 2023 Toyota Sienna with original tires 235/60R18 and the pewag RS80 fit perfectly. The pictograph instructions were easy to follow and the chains were quick to get on during my test fit. The instructions being in plastic could be helpful if they get wet and I really like the self tensioning aspect of these chains. A few notes from the Toyota Sienna manual 1. "Vehicles with 17-inch or 18- inch tires Use SAE Class “S” type radial tire chains....Vehicles with 20-inch tires Tire chains cannot be mounted. Snow tires should be used instead." -These Pewag tire chains are "s" type and the low clearance fit my 18" wheels easily. 2. "The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly when tire chains are fitted." -If your vehicle cant read your tire pressure and you have chains on...no big deal. I really liked the ease with which these chains went on and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform in the snow.

If you have the 2024 Honda CRV 2WD buy these bad boys (I have the sport-l 18" rim version). These reinforced my decision and confidence to buy 2WD vs AWD. I live in a mild climate area and used these on my last trip to Big Bear, CA. I had to sign a waiver at the dealership to only use cables, but because these are S rated they hug your tires just the same. I saw plenty of cheap broken cables on my way up the mountain and glad I spent the money on these instead. I was able to drive without issue in a snow storm on un-plowed roads. No real slippage was experienced. These were easy to drive with on, quiet in snow, and tolerable on dry road. I kept my speed to 30MPH or below. Some suggestions: - Do practice putting the chains on each wheel and taking them off before your trip. - Have gloves handy, preferably snow rated as they will get wet. I would even get a plastic mat for your knees. - Take a screenshot recording of etrailor's video of putting the chains on in case you need a refresher and don't have service. - You may struggle getting the plastic components to uniformly fit on the sidewall of the tire. Some of mine were closer to the tread. I re-adjusted the cable a few times but was pleasantly surprised after a bit of driving that the autotensioner was able to pull them up into a better position. - Take a picture of the chains when you initially put them on so you can park your car with them in the same position. This will allow you to get to the back of the chain to disconnect it when there is snow/ice piled on your wheel well (see my pic). I didn't do this and found it difficult to remove the chain efficiently. - You may still need to roll over the chain to get it off your tire so just make sure all of the plastic components and metal connectors are out of the way of your tire. - Be cautious when connecting or disconnecting the back clip. My advice is to hold onto the chain to avoid it falling on your wheel components and potentially getting snagged. - After one trip I can already see some rust on parts of the chain. They did use salt on the roads so just make sure you rinse the chains off when you get back and let them fully dry before long term storage.

Great product that took my Jetta places it was never meant to go! Great chains if you follow the instructions. Absolute ease of use!

Had these K-Summit "chains" for a Toyota Corolla for 5+ years, and they worked so well that I immediately bought a new pair to fit my 2013 Honda Accord (different tire size), and they also work great. Used them the other day in 6" of unplowed snow, on the hill I live on. As long as you go slow (I usually drive < 25 MPH) they just keep moving you forward. Two quick notes: 1) I noticed going uphill that my wheels started skidding, then stopping, and repeated that annoying cycle, which made it harder than usual to continue moving forward. I quickly figured out that this was the way the anti-spin system worked on the car (which doesn't want you to spin your wheels). I disabled that and that odd behavior stopped. 2) The fitting guide, which tells you how many "links" or "regulation elements" (as the instructions calls them) to remove to fit the chain to the tire, is assuming you're placing them on all-season tires. When you use snow tires, as I do, you have to remove more links to get the chain to fit correctly. This is not a problem, but it's useful to know. The representative from Thule, the company from whom I bought my original set, admitted that they should mention this in the instruction guide.

No snow yet but the practice installation went great! So simple my 6 year-old helped make sure I was following the instructions properly. Time will tell if I need them and how they work in the upcoming North Idaho snow plowing season. Fit great on my 275/70R18 tires. I appreciate the carrying case they came with, also!

the chains that Gwendolyn sent me fit perfectly. And, they arrived in time to take them on a 2,900mile trip. As it turned out, I didn't have to use them, as the weather let up, and got through the Rockies and the Cascades with no need for chains. Better to have them and not use them, than need them and not have them.

Went on as easy as in the U Tube video. Had a fresh 12 inch snow to test them with. I have a Ford F-250 4x4 and the little front wheel drive Mazda went better than the truck. No shoveling the driveway, just went back and forth and packed down the snow. Only thing I question is the bungy cord part of the chains. If that part will possible dry rot. The Thule chains make the car feel unstoppable. Ice snow I made 4x4s look bad. When you have chains that go on and come off this easy you are more inclined to use them. LoveEm

Buying the right tire snow chains for my Honda Civic was easy with etrailer. Shipping was very fast. I ordered late on a Saturday and I received my chains the next Thursday. I'm extremely satisfied with my experience with etrailer

Great quality. Especially the accessories like the manual being made of plastic so it can get wet and giving a mat to kneel on to keep your pants dry. And the storage is convenient. All super useful, thorough, and high quality.

The customer service I've received from etrailer has been exceptional. Greg kept me updated with my order at every step - even got my chains shipped out on Sunday of President's Day weekend! I will definitely be coming back to etrailer for future orders. The chains come in a reusable box that is pleasantly compact. You can't go wrong with TUV approval, plus the diamond pattern seems to be what most of the truckers I've seen use. The chains are easy to put on and fit my skinny sidewall tires nicely.

Love the small container. In the trunk of my Jetta and ready for the next bad spell of weather.

These chains are great.

The description of these tire chains indicates they are easy to install but if these are easy to install I would not want to install difficult chains. Thus the four stars. They are made of good quality materials and do seem to self center and seem to do the job.

We live in the mountains of Colorado and my wife drives her Honda Civic to work 50 miles away on most days. Our house is 3.5 miles off of paved roads and a 1200' climb over poorly maintained dirt and gravel roads. These chains are so easy to install that she can usually put them on or remove them in less than 5 minutes, even in dark, snowy conditions. We would be purchasing a different car for her if we didn't have these chains.

I bought these chains as a birthday present for my daughter. She is an avid recreational skier and races for her college team. I wanted to get her ones that she could install by herself quickly and safely when driving up to a ski resort or race meet alone. Just by following the illustrations on the inside of the storage bag she was able to install them on both tires in less than 5 minutes without any help or guidance from me. Taking them off took a few seconds. I have used many different chain tires over the years and these are the easiest to install by a long way. Hopefully they will perform well in the snow when winter hits.

only got to use them twice. But in their few hours of service they performed wonderfully. Attached well onto my wheels and made me feel comfortable while driving. Bit of a pain to install being actually metal chains as opposed to tire socks, but they weren't too bad once you got the hang of where to connect them all.

I bought two tire chains for the front wheels of my 2016 Toyota Prius C one year ago and they work wonderfully— I drove to the mountain so many times to ski and it was pretty easy to put the chains on and off as needed, with a little practice (definitely practice at home first!). But they make driving in the snow/ice WAY safer. Highly recommend

Its pretty good but it is a little loose. I'm not sure if that's how it supposed to be but other than that it's very good and easy to put on.

helpful staff!